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Appin, New South Wales
| pop = 1,423 (2006 census) | est = | elevation= 150 | maxtemp = | mintemp = | rainfall = | stategov = Wollondilly | fedgov = Macarthur | dist1 = 16 | location1= Campbelltown | dist2 = 35 | location2= Wollongong | region = Macarthur | dist3 = 75.5 | location3= Sydney | near-nw = Menangle | near-n = Wedderburn | near-ne = Helensburgh | near-w = Douglas Park | near-e = Stanwell Tops | near-sw = Wilton | near-s = Cataract | near-se = Stanwell Tops }} Appin is a town in the Macarthur Region of New South Wales, Australia in Wollondilly Shire. It is situated about 16 kilometres south of Campbelltown and 35 kilometres north west of Wollongong. History of the District Early history Appin is in the lands of the Dharawal people. "During the Dreaming a great fire swept through the land. Wiritjiribin led the people to sanctuary in a cool green gully which had been missed by the fire, under the rocky cliffs of a gorge south of Appin. Those who had perished in the fire were reincarnated as animals and Wiritjiribin appeared as a lyrebird, which became the clan’s totem, a symbol of peace and caretaker of the Land of Gawaigl, an area which became a meeting place for Peoples from all over the east coast of Australia"Register of Historic Places and Objects European settlement in the Appin district was prohibited for some years; Appin was part of the 'Cowpastures' where a small herd of cattle had established themselves, having escaped from the Sydney Cove settlement. To protect these and help feed the colony, Governor Macquarie ordered 'No person to hunt or travel into the Cowpastures without licence under penalty of death'.Cattle escape from Sydney CoveProclamations by Governer Macquarie Naturalist George Caley had visited the area in 1807 exploring 'from Prospect to the upper waters of George's River and the Cataract and Cordeaux Rivers' and reporting his findings.ADB Online George Caley Settlement began in 1811 with a land grant by Governor Macquarie to William Broughton, who had arrived with the First Fleet.Deputy Commissary General W. Broughton: in tribute to the Governor, Broughton named his grant Lachlan Vale; it is now known as Northhamptondale. For the next five years, smaller grants of 40 to were made to a score or so of others, former soldiers, emancipated convicts. Governor Macquarie was pleased to give 'The District of Appin' its name, after Appin, in the Scottish West Highlands where his wife, Elizabeth, was born.Whitaker, Appin: the story of a Macquarie Town Mrs Allan McPherson, visiting circa 1856, wrote: "The next morning was fine and bright, and with somewhat better spirits we set out again, but the roads were heavy, and our progress consequently not very rapid, so that it was one or two o'clock before we reached "Appin," a small village, the last resting place on the Sydney side of Mount Keera. As it was too late to attempt crossing the mountain--at all times a formidable undertaking--that evening, we were obliged to make up our minds to stay here. We were not by this time very difficult to please in the way of accommodation, but it seemed doubtful if we should meet with any in this out-of-the-way little place. At last the landlord of a little inn took compassion on us, and let us in, though giving us to understand it was quite as a favour, for he was giving up his business that week, and his house was in a great state of confusion. I afterwards learnt we owed the accommodation, such as it was, to the compassion of the landlord's wife, who chose to weave a little romance about us to the effect that we were a newly married couple, and who was not a little disappointed when I informed her I had been married several years, and had three children! I must be excused if my recollections of Appin are not very favourable, for at this half-dismantled little inn we were detained three days by incessant torrents of rain, such as I had hardly ever witnessed before, even in the colony. What to do with ourselves we really hardly knew. We had neither writing nor drawing materials, nor were they procurable…"My Experiences in Australia. Being Recollections of a Visit to the Australian Colonies in 1856-7. by A Lady. LONDON: J. F. HOPE, 16 GREAT MARLBOROUGH STREET. 1860. Available from Project Gutenberg The Appin Massacre Dharawal people made friendships among several Appin settlers, but others came into conflict. In 1814, both Aborigines and Europeans died in skirmishes, usually over stolen crops. After further deaths at BringellyThe killings of Europeans were possibly by Gandangara intruders hunting during a time of drought. See Whitaker, p. 11 Macquarie sent a punitive expedition to round up all Aborigines in the area. Those who resisted were to be shot. On 16 April, at least 14 were killed by shooting; others were driven to jump to their deaths into a rocky gorge, near Broughton's Pass.Appin Massacre Notable Citizens Among Appin's free settlers was one Andrew Hamilton Hume, father of the explorer Hamilton Hume. Hamilton Hume and his brother John were tireless investigators of the local countryside, often journeying in the company of Duall, a Dharawal man. Hamilton Hume became an expert bushman, and was well-prepared for major exploration when he set out in 1824 from 'Humewood',Humewood, home of the Humes. Retrieved 24 June 2010 in the company of William Hovell, to explore the land between the Sydney settlements and Port Phillip, at the request of Governor Brisbane. A stone monument to this event stands on Campbelltown Road, erected by the Royal Australian Historical Society in 1924. Stone was obtained from the ruins of Hamilton Hume’s house. Appin is the birthplace of John Fuller, better known as the bushranger Dan 'Mad Dog' Morgan. Rachel Henning spent several months at Elladale Cottage in Appin. Of the area, she wrote: "I am glad Biddulph is going to leave Appin, however, for I am sure he will never make any money on this farm. Do you remember our saying that there must certainly be something the matter with it, when he wrote word of how low the rent was, that there must be a want of water or that nothing would grow? There are both these drawbacks here. The soil is wretchedly poor, and this is said to be the very driest part of Australia. Frequently, when there have been torrents of rain at Wollongong and Sydney, on each side of us, we have not had a drop here. There are no springs on the farm, only a waterhole, and that was dry for nearly six weeks in the summer, and then we had to fetch water from the river three miles off. It is a pity Biddulph ever took this farm; still, he has gained some experience here, and, as his expenditure was chiefly in cattle and furniture, he has not lost much."The Letters of Rachel Henning 29 March 1855. Agriculture and Industry Appin was for decades a major wheat-growing, and dairy-farming area, but wheat rust, and new railways reaching other primary producing areas of the State, reduced its importance. From 1869, however, the district became the major supplier of Sydney's water, when construction commenced on the Upper Nepean Scheme: four major dams and an associated of canals and tunnels supplying Prospect Reservoir.Whitaker, Chapter Nine The Appin Colliery, exploiting the Bulli Seam by longwall mining opened in 1962. The West Cliff Colliery opened in 1976. Infrastructure A town plan was completed in 1834. Several of the proposed street names are in use today, including Toggerai, the Dharawal name for the Upper reaches of the Georges River. A track from Campbelltown was in use from 1815; as settlement advanced along coastal Illawarra, routes to Sydney found their way up the escarpment, and through Appin; the resulting traffic increased the town's prosperity.Whitaker, Chapter V Appin had a permanent Post Office by 1841, and a telephone line was connected to it in 1888. Appin had to wait until 1945 for an electricity supply. Despite its proximity to several large dams, Appin did not receive a reticulated water supply until 1961.Whitaker, Chapter 13 As of 2010, a town sewerage scheme is in its planning stages.Appin Wilton and Douglas Park Sewerage Scheme Several examples of early sandstone buildings remain in Appin's commercial centre on Appin Road. These include the former Courthouse and Gaol (1860s), the derelict Appin Inn (1826), a stone cottage used as offices, built circa 1840, the Headmaster's residence at the primary school, and St. Bede's Roman Catholic Church, 1834-7. Other buildings of heritage value include the disused motor garage at Darcy’s Corner (1955), the Appin Hotel (1840), and St Mark The Evangelist Church (1843) The Town Today On Census Night 2006, Appin had a population of 1,756 people.Australian Bureau of Statistics, SSC 16065. Report generated 24 June 2010 Community Facilities The Wollondilly Mobile Library visits the township weekly.Mobile Library Appin has a Playgroup; a Mobile PreSchool; a Community Hall, two sportsgrounds, and an off-leash area for companion animals near Wonson Oval. The Appin Volunteer Bush Fire Brigade (now known as the Appin Rural Fire Service) was formed in 1944; Joe D'Arcy was its first Captain. The current Fire Shed was opened in 2002. In the Surrounding Area The 16th World Scout Jamboree was held at the Cataract Scout Camp,Cataract Scout Camp the first such Jamboree held in the Southern Hemisphere. The Dharawal State Recreation Area and Nature ReserveDharawal State Conservation Area is located to the east. Appin is part of the Upper Georges River Catchment.Catchment Notes The Bureau of Meteorology operates a Weather Watch radar station at Bulli, known as the "Sydney (Appin) radar" . Its coverage extends to Newcastle, Bathurst, Lake George and Ulladulla."Appin Radar Industries, Employment The coal mines continue to be a major employer. Inghams Enterprises operate several factory farms. An industrial area has been established to the south of Appin. Here also is the Macarthur Water Treatment Plant. Completed in 1995, which supplies the Camden, Campbelltown and Wollondilly areas.Macarthur Water Treatment Plant Education Appin Public School was opened in 1867. Before this, Catholic and Anglican Denominational Schools had been conducted in the district, but both had closed by 1870. Secondary school students today attend High Schools in Campbelltown and other areas. Tertiary education is available from institutions in adjacent towns: the University of Western Sydney at Campbelltown, the University of Wollongong and Campbelltown College of TAFE. Sport North of town lie the Appin Greyhound Track and the Appin Motocross Circuit Motocross. Tennis courts and a sportsground are located within the township (Wonson Oval). Appin is home to the Appin Dogs Rugby League Football Teams: a women's rugby team was established in 2010. Appin United Soccer Club have their home ground at the Gordon Lewis Oval.Appin alsohave their own Netball team:Appin Netball Club. Notes and references ;Notes ;References External links Appin Massacre * Appin Massacre * Appin Massacre * Appin Massacre Heritage Links * Appin history * Sykes Family history * St. Bede's Church graveyard listing * St. Bede's history * Heritage Listing, Upper Canal System * Kilbride Nursing Home, Rosemeadow * Beulah Homestead Other Links * Appin Canal collapse 2007 * Appin sewerage proposal * Upper Nepean Dams * Appin Power Plant 1996 * Power Plant controversy * Appin Aeromodellers Club * Unofficial History of Illawarra Coal * Methane Gas Power Generation * Methane Gas Power Generation * Leaf's Gully Power Plant Bibliography and Further Reading * Appin Public School centenary. '' 1968. Appin Public School Centenary Committee. * Butler, B. N. 1988. ''St Mark the Evangelist Anglican Church, Appin : 150 years of ministry, 1838-1988. * Fowler, L.R. (ed.) 1989. ''A History of the forbidden land Wollondilly Shire. ISBN 0-7316-3746-1 * Hume, Emma. Diaries. Emma Hume of 'Beulah', Appin Road, Appin, NSW. 1893-1917. * The Letters of Rachel Henning, 29 March 1855 * Holmes, Marie. 1997. St Bede's Church, Appin Campbelltown & Airds Historical Society. ISBN 0-9586776-3-8 * McGill, Ruth. 1994. The Appin massacre by Ruth McGill. Campbelltown, N.S.W. * Percival, Syd. 1992. Chronicles of Appin, NSW / by Syd Percival. Campbelltown and Airds Historical Society. ISBN 0-9591729-7-1 * Proudfoot, Helen. 1977. Colonial buildings : Macarthur Growth Centre, Campbelltown, Camden, Appin Macarthur Development Board. * Whitaker, Anne-Maree. 2005. Appin: the story of a Macquarie town. Kingsclear Books, Sydney. ISBN 0-908272-84-7 * [http://books.google.com.au/books?id=XlbDHnp7KaUC&lpg=PP1&pg=PP1#v=onepage&q&f=false Selections from Appin: the story of a Macquarie town are available from Google Books] Appin Gallery File: Former Appin Post Office.jpg| Former Post Office, 1835 File: Appin Public School NSW.jpg| Appin Public School, 1867 File: Appin Inn NSW.jpg| Derelict Appin Inn, 1826 File: Apping NSW Stone Shop.jpg| Colonial era stone building in main street File: Appin Rectory NSW Australia.jpg| Former Anglican Rectory, 1843 File: Appin St Bedes Church.jpg| St Bede's Catholic Church, 1837-43 File: Appin St Marks Church NSW.jpg| St Mark the Evangelist Anglican Church, 1843 File: Darcys Corner Appin NSW.jpg| Darcy's Corner, c. 1955. File: Broughton Pass Weir.jpg| Broughton's Pass Weir File: Appin Canal NSW.jpg| Upper Canal west of Appin File: Appin Hotel NSW.jpg| Appin Hotel File: Appin Fire Shed NSW.jpg| Rural Fire Brigade Shed File: Appin NSW Colliery Entrance.jpg| Entrance, Appin Colliery File: Appin Methane Power Plant.jpg| Methane Gas Power Plant File: Appin Ingham Broilers NSW.jpg| Inghams Broilers factory farm File: Appin Industry NSW.jpg| Industrial Area, south of town Category:Towns in New South Wales Category:Towns in the Macarthur (New South Wales)